New B-HP football coach's work ethic traced to family farm

B-HP football coach Russell Blackston met with the team for the first time Tuesday morning

HONEA PATH - Russell Blackston's reputation as a hard worker can be traced to his childhood working on his grandfather's 100-acre farm near the Keowee River in Six Mile.

"That's all I've ever known is hard work," said Blackston, Belton-Honea Path's new football coach, who worked on the farm starting when he was 3 or 4 years old.

Both of his grandparents were farmers, Blackston said, and he used to ride in the wagon as a mule plowed the field.

"Myself, and my cousins would all chip in and help, and when it was time to gather the crops, whenever the potatoes or corn would come in, we'd all have to go in and harvest the crops," he said.

That mentality helped him as a lineman at Westside, where he graduated in 1989, and has carried over to his 14-year coaching career. Blackston said there's only one way to do things: full speed, and as hard as you can.

Blackston, a B-HP assistant since 2000, was announced on Monday night as the new coach, and met with the football team for the first time on Tuesday morning.

The strength and conditioning teacher is proud to show off lists and charts in the B-HP weight room of accomplishments by his students and players, and added that he's only in coaching because of the kids. His coaching mentors and colleagues have noticed that, too.

"They work hard for him because they know what he puts on the table," said Steve Williams, B-HP's defensive coordinator, who was promoted to athletics director on Monday night. "To me, Russell is one of the hardest working coaches I know. He's a ball of fire committed to our community and our school."

Blackston played on the offensive and defensive lines at Westside, and Rams coach Ted Luckadoo, who arrived at Westside when Blackston was in the eighth grade, said Blackston's mentality is what's allowed him to be a good coach.

"Russell had the capabilities of doing a lot of things because he was a hard worker," Luckadoo said. "He coaches just like he played: very intense, gives the best effort. I always felt like his kids were prepared."

When B-HP and Westside meet this season, it will be the first time Luckadoo will face one of his former players as a head coach on the opposite sideline. So the Westside coach, entering his 27th season, wishes Blackston success, except against the Rams.

Blackston credited former Crescent coaches Jeff Burke and Bruce Ollis for helping him to develop fundamentals and philosophies he uses today, such as family, faith, hard work and community involvement.

Because former B-HP coach Wayne Green called the offensive plays, Blackston said it's too early in the process to determine who would serve as offensive coordinator. While he's primarily coached the offensive line at B-HP, he was the defensive line coach last season.

But he looks forward to returning to the offensive side to get that "unbelievable feeling" when his team has a third or fourth down and short.

"You're in control of getting that extra yard or two," Blackston said. "That's the passion that I miss."

Blackston and his wife Robin have two sons, Will, 7, and Alex, 5.

The Bears, who were 9-3 last season, return seven all-Western AAA players.